EP2124119B1 - System and method for collating and transferring process metadata of heterogeneous production process chains - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves accessing a selective manufacturing process chain by decentralized aggregation modules (25) of a central unit (20) at process devices. The aggregation modules are arranged during the manufacturing process chains, where a meta data profile (21) is generated in partially dynamic manner based on user request (11) for access by the central unit. Each process chain has multiple processing devices (31) assisting in the manufacturing processes of a manufacturing product (40). An independent claim is included for a system for aggregation and transmission of process meta data of heterogeneous production process chains.

Description

The present invention relates to a system and method for aggregating and transmitting process metadata of heterogeneous manufacturing process chains, each process chain comprising a plurality of processing devices involved in the manufacturing process of a manufactured product. By means of the system, production process chain-specific operating data of a selected production process chain are detected and standardized process metadata are generated and transmitted to a communication device of a user. In particular, the invention relates to the standardized access to production process data of a wide variety of heterogeneous production process chains with a wide variety of production devices and detection sensor systems.

State of the art

For controlling and monitoring systems, more and more computer and communication systems are being used worldwide to transmit operating data of processes or process chains via networks, such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network) or the Internet via, for example, the public, switched public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a public land mobile network (PLMN), such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System) networks, etc. to obtain or transmit. In particular, operating data are displayed and / or edited and / or made available to other computer systems in a modified manner. Operating data includes digital data such as text, graphics, images, animations, video, quicktime and sound recordings. These include MPx (MP3) or MPEGx (MPEG7) standards as defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group. Not only the monitored process chains are in most cases heterogeneous in their composition, but also in the available operating data and operating data formats. In the case of uniform monitoring and / or analysis, the most varied data formats and data information contents (in particular data gaps) thus provide a threshold that can hardly be overcome. The formats and operating data contents range from machine- and sensor-specific definitions to data and data formats of third parties such as NatCat, LAH, PCS, RLC, ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operation Research), etc. Thus, a complete analysis of heterogeneous manufacturing process chains at the present time is practically impossible or only possible with immense time expenditure under human interaction. However, the problems with standardized, process chain superseding of data acquisition and generation are known internally especially in the case of cross-process access by third parties. In particular, problems in acquiring and converting data to standardized formats are known. The patent US 2007/0214020 A1 shows a method by which heterogeneous operating data can be detected and stored by third parties in standardized formats. Classes (or groups) are defined and used in the standard formats. Also known is the problem of automating and standardizing a value chain or value chain analysis. The patent US 2007/0043662 A1 shows such a method for automating the value chain. In doing so, appropriate groups or classes are formed, probability distributions assigned and corresponding formats generated. The patent JP 2007011758 shows a method and system by means of which heterogeneous data can be prepared and made available to clients in standardized form. The storage format and input format do not have to be identical. However, the system is statically configured and must be adapted for case groups. The patent UA 22174 U shows another method and system in which external clients can access data from a central server standardized. In this group of documents of the prior art, however, access privileges and security standards in access and transmission are particularly important. Automated and standardized data collection is widely known. There are a variety of documents and solutions in the art. As an example of such a patent is here WO 0215082 A1 mentioned that shows such a system. Standard procedures for security and data transmission (data formats) for service providers in this field are also disclosed. Another such patent may also with eg EP 1313043 A1 being found. It also discusses issues such as handling missing or incomplete data after collecting heterogeneous cases. Finally, it should be pointed to the state of the art, as he eg DE 102005019434 A1 is known. This document also discusses problems and solutions in collecting relevant data and completing incomplete or missing data.

Also in the prior art is the patent US 2003/0198188 , US 2003/0198188 shows a system for monitoring remote units and processes by means of a locally mounted controller that collects and periodically transmits data to a central processing unit from where it can be retrieved from any authorized end-user computer. Configuration data can be routed from the end-user computer to the remote units as an additional variant. US 6151601 further shows a system by which data can be collected on user request on the Internet. The collected data is transformed by means of a mapping system and prepared for access from web applications to personal computers. The presented system focuses on uniformly recording and comparing data from mixed data formats such as text, images, videos, voice, sound etc. Conventional search engines, on the other hand, showed mixed comparisons of mixed sources. WO 2004/034204 shows a system for monitoring industrial processes. Using a remote service portal, data is collected from the production chain, identified and transmitted via a network to a monitoring station. The monitoring station analyzes the transmitted data and prepares it for monitoring. Instead of fault-tolerant systems, the system focuses on proactively detecting and predicting potential operational damage and issuing appropriate warnings early enough to troubleshoot the problem. US 2003/0195934 shows a web-based information server, which can be accessed by a variety of different web services. The web-based information server serves as a connection station between the web services, wherein a web service requires data from another web service by means of a request to the information server. US 2007/0214020 Finally, it shows the generation of a data structure for a large number of different insurance products. In this case, a product-specific additional data element is generated for each additional insurance product, so that the different insurance products can be managed by means of a uniform data structure.

Technical task

It is an object of the present invention to propose a new and better method which addresses the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art does not have. In particular, process metadata of heterogeneous production process chains should be able to be aggregated and transmitted standardized, independently of the different process devices involved in each process chain of a production product and corresponding standards. In this way, production process chain-specific operating data of all types of selected production process chains is to be recorded by means of the system and corresponding process metadata automatically generated. The system is intended to enable automatically standardized access to production process data from a wide variety of production process chains, but also, conversely, to a user-specific adaptation of the process metadata.

According to the present invention, these objects are achieved in particular by the elements of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are also apparent from the dependent claims, the description and drawings.

In particular, these objects are achieved by the invention in that for the aggregation and transmission of process metadata of heterogeneous manufacturing process chains, each process chain comprises a plurality of processing devices involved in the manufacturing process of a manufacturing product, wherein manufacturing process chain specific operating data of a selected manufacturing process chain is acquired on a user request of a communication device and process metadata is recorded on one Communication device of a user to be accessed by means of decentralized at the manufacturing process chains arranged aggregation modules of a central processing unit of a selected manufacturing process chain, wherein for access by the central unit, a metadata profile based on the user request is generated at least partially dynamically which dynamically generated parts of the metadata profile standardized control signal For the accesses of the aggregation module to the manufacturing process chain, authentication data of the metadata profile of a Produced product are transmitted from the central processing unit to an aggregation module, wherein by means of the aggregation module, the corresponding manufacturing product is located and authenticated in the manufacturing process chain, that the dynamically generated control signal data of the metadata profile are transmitted from the central unit to the aggregation module by means of a second signaling channel, based on the control signal data the manufacturing process chain is accessed by the aggregation module and manufacturing process chain specific operating data of the manufacturing product is acquired, and that the acquired operating data are transmitted from the aggregation module to the central processing unit, wherein by means of the central processing unit corresponding process metadata are generated at least in part by automatic analysis of the operating data and on the communication device be transmitted. For example, the selected manufacturing product may be determined by the user in the user request generated by the communication device. The dynamically certain part of the metadata profile with the control signal data may include, for example, programs and / or program-accompanying data. The manufacturing process chain may be, for example, a so-called value chain: in the manufacture of products, it may comprise both devices in a processing line or line, but also other automated devices in the value chain. In the special case of partially monetary value-based systems, in which the production product often corresponds to a case to be handled, the manufacturing process chain can also include a so-called transactional chain. The operating data may include, for example, multimedia data and / or references to multimedia data. The advantage of this invention is, in particular, that an optimization of the generation and transmission of operating data or corresponding metadata is achieved without the existing production process chains having to be adapted or expanded. This has the advantage that the invention brings about a more cost-effective and faster improvement, without the user being restricted in terms of the quality or quantity of the information transmitted. On the other hand, it is even the case that with today's production structures such an adaptation is not possible in many areas for technical, financial reasons or due to the preservation of business secrets. In the prior art, metadata can therefore be generated in most areas based on the availability and accessibility only incomplete or even faulty standardized. Another advantage is that the user is the time consuming search and compilation of operational data, especially in heterogeneous It also facilitates a dynamic selection or compilation created by the system (ie it actively receives proposals for actions, for example) from the system and an automation that can be influenced directly by the system during acquisition can. Another advantage of this embodiment is that the metadata, ie the process metadata, continually has the timeliness necessary for the user. This is also achieved without unnecessary wear on system resources.

In one embodiment variant, the production products of a production process chain are automatically provided with an electronic authentication label by means of the associated aggregation module. This variant has u.a. the advantage that localization and authentication of a manufacturing product based on the authentication label in the manufacturing process chain is directly and easily possible, in particular without the user or the system must be active only at user request.

In another embodiment variant, the dynamic part of the metadata profile for the passage of a production product in the production process chain is determined automatically by means of the central unit. This variant has u.a. the advantage that the user in the user request only has to give general authentication data or format instructions, without the least knowledge of the different heterogeneous manufacturing process chains being accessed.

In a further embodiment variant, the central unit comprises a lookup table with standardized stored control signal data, the dynamic part of the metadata profile being generated based on the control signal data stored in the lookup table. This embodiment variant has the advantage, for example, that the user can easily access or select predetermined control signal data or control signal commands of the metadata profile, for example in combination with a graphical user interface (GUI) of the communication device. Thus, the user can easily influence the dynamic generation of the control signal data by means of the metadata profile.

In yet another embodiment variant, the process metadata are generated in a content-oriented and user-specific optimized manner by means of a repackaging module taking into account the data of a user profile, which content-oriented and user-specifically optimized process metadata are transmitted from the central unit to the communication device of the user. This variant has u.a. the advantage that starting from the standardized process metadata any desired user-specific form of the process metadata can be generated automatically and transmitted to the appropriate communication device. In particular, this may be useful for embodiments where the user may define multiple user profiles for different communication devices. A further advantage of this embodiment variant is that the user can centrally manage a plurality of completely different communication devices without having to make adjustments to the heterogeneous structures of the production process chains every May. Thus, he can e.g. Determine and manage the metadata to be provided for another communication device via a convenient interface in the central unit.

In an embodiment variant, the process metadata and / or references to process metadata are made available to the user in a data memory of a content module of the central processing unit. The variant has u.a. the advantage that once generated metadata in multiple use by the user does not have to be recreated each time. This allows faster access to the desired data while saving computing power. In particular, the search for operating data or generated process metadata is expanded.

In another embodiment variant, the user manages the data stored in the user's data memory of the content module at least partially himself. For example, Manage refers to the deletion or modification of storage parameters in addition to direct access. This has the advantage, among other things, that the user can directly influence the storage of the data in the content module.

In a further embodiment variant, standardized data of the metadata profile generated by the central unit are transmitted to the aggregation module by means of a third signaling channel, wherein property parameters of groups of production products and / or process devices are transferred to the aggregation module based on the standardized generated data.

In yet another embodiment variant, the user profile comprises user-specific data on network properties and / or data on hardware properties of the user's communication device and / or user behavior data. This variant has u.a. the same advantages as the previous embodiments, in particular it allows network-optimized transmission of the process metadata from the central processing unit to the user's communication device. Likewise, e.g. the repackaging module optimizes the selected multimedia data in a user-specific manner taking account of the user data in such a way that they are adapted to the requirements of the user's communication device and / or the communication connection from the central unit to the said communication device.

In a further embodiment variant, the user profile comprises access condition data which defines a monetary amount value of a credit limit that can be defined by the user and / or the central unit up to which credit limit an automatic billing of the related metadata takes place. This has the advantage, among other things, that in the remuneration for access to content-oriented and user-specifically optimized process metadata, the user or the central unit can freely determine what kind of offsetting should take place up to which amounts. Likewise, as an embodiment variant, the central unit can automatically and / or dynamically record user behavior data and store it associated with the user profile. This has the advantage, for example, that statistical surveys on user behavior can be carried out centrally and operating data providers can react quickly to changed user behavior. Furthermore, the user profile can include, for example, further use condition data that can be defined by the user and / or the central unit, based on which further use condition data the central unit evaluates the user profile and, for example, makes it accessible to third parties. This variant has, for example, the advantage that the user can specify up to which level of data may be made available to third parties via its user behavior or its user profile or may be used for statistical surveys. For example, the provider may introduce a bonus system to those users or owners of manufacturing process chains who will continue to use more information. The service provider or operator of the central processing unit or the inventive system can respond so flexibly to customer behavior and customer requirements.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example. The example is given by the attached FIG. 1 11, which shows a schematic block diagram of the method and system in which process metadata 52 of heterogeneous manufacturing process chains 30 are aggregated and standardized. Each process chain 30 includes a plurality of processing devices 31 involved in the manufacturing process of a manufacturing product 40.

FIG. 1 illustrates an architecture that may be used to implement the invention. In this embodiment, each heterogeneous manufacturing process chain 30 includes a plurality of processing devices 31 involved in the manufacturing process of a manufacturing product 40 and a sensor 311 for detecting manufacturing process chain specific operating data 52 of a selected manufacturing process chain 30. A manufacturing process chain 30 may be, for example, a fabrication line or the like of a product to be manufactured. However, it can also be a so-called value chain in the production and / or processing or processing of a product, which comprises all activities or production steps relevant for working or processing and / or production, for example by means of the process devices 31. The process metadata and / or the operating data 52 of a manufacturing process chain 30 or the involved process devices 31 and process steps can thus serve as the basis of analysis of the manufacturing process chain 30 and / or the optimization of the operating parameters of the manufacturing process chain 30 via the control and control of the manufacturing process chain 30. For example, in automated finance-based methods, the manufacturing process chain 30 may include automated or semi-automated steps of a so-called transactional chain with processing such as automated transfer, binding, reimbursement, event detection, event acceptance, event tracking, and termination. The process devices 31 can each Type of involved in the manufacturing process machines or devices but also in the transferred sense processing or processing steps include, over which data can be generated. Thus, the operational data 52 could include data about any type of primary and / or supporting automated or semi-automated activities of a value chain, in particular all types of direct activities such as automated assembly, machining, transportation, operations optimization, etc., indirect activities such as energy storage and - Supply, operation of the equipment and / or process devices 31 etc. and automatic quality assurance and monitoring such as control, review of manufacturing products 40 eg by means of appropriate sensors or measuring devices and other automated tests, etc. The process metadata 51, for example, for internal transmission, between different Network units or for the transmission or access via a public network such as the Internet be determined.

By means of the system, process metadata 51 assigned to the operating data 52 are generated and transmitted to a communication device 10 of a user 12 by means of an interface module. The operating data 52 may include, for example, any type of multimedia data and / or references to multimedia data. According to the present invention, the receiving device 10 is bidirectionally connected to a central unit 20 via a communication network 50. The communication network 50 comprises, for example, a GSM or a UMTS network, or a satellite-based mobile radio network, and / or one or more fixed networks, for example the public switched telephone network, the worldwide Internet or a suitable Local Area Network (LAN) or WAN (Wide Area Network) Network). In particular, it also includes ISDN and XDSL connections. Operating data 52 may include, for example, any type of multimedia data including digital data such as texts, graphics, images, maps, animations, moving images, video, quicktime, sound recordings, programs (software), program-accompanying data and hyperlinks or references to other operating data 52 or multimedia data. These include, for example, MPx (MP3) or MPEGx (MPEG4 or 7) standards, as defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group. The operating data 52 may be accessible at different locations in different networks or locally for the central unit 20 by means of the aggregation modules 25 decentralized at the manufacturing chains 30 described below. The latter networks can like the communication network 50, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), the Internet, broadcast cable networks, PSTN, PLMN, or the like. include. The process metadata can be generated, for example, in a variety of ways, in particular using known indexing techniques from the operating data 52 acquired by means of the aggregation modules 25. In the present exemplary embodiment, the process metadata can be generated at least partially dynamically (in real time) based on the metadata profile 21. This has the advantage, for example, that the process metadata always has the timeliness and accuracy that is meaningful for the user 12. It can be used in particular in the search of certain data or corresponding sensors 311 of process devices 31 so-called. Agents.

The system comprises decentralized aggregation modules 25 of a central unit 20 arranged in the production process chains 30, the process modules 31 and / or the sensors 311 of the selected production process chain 30 being accessed by means of the aggregation modules 25. A metadata profile 21 is at least partially dynamically generated for access by the central processing unit 20 based on a user request 11 of the communication device 10. The user request 11 generated by the user 12 by means of the communication device 10 may include, for example, information for the identification and / or authentication of a specific manufacturing product 40. The dynamically generated parts of the metadata profile 21 comprise standardized control signal data 212 for the accesses of the aggregation module 25 to the production process chain 30. The dynamically generated part 212 of the metadata profile 21 with the control signal data 212 can automatically or at least partially automatically for the passage of a production product 40 by means of the central unit be determined. In particular, the dynamically determined part of the metadata profile 52 with the control signal data may comprise, for example, programs and / or program-accompanying data. The central unit 20 may include, for example, a lookup table with standardized stored control signal data 212, the dynamic part 212 of the metadata profile 21 being generated based on the control signal data stored in the lookup table. For example, the user 12 can access, via a suitable interface, for example in combination with a graphical user interface (GUI) of the communication device 10, control data or control signal commands 212 of the metadata profile 21 which are predefined in the lookup table. select such. Thus, the user 12 can easily influence the dynamic generation of the control signal data 212 by means of the metadata profile 21.

By means of a first signaling channel 201, authentication data 211 of a production product 40 are transmitted from the central unit 20 to the aggregation module 25. By means of the aggregation module 25, the corresponding manufacturing product 40 is located and authenticated in the production process chain authentication data 211. The manufacturing product 40 may be e.g. a by means of the aggregation module 25 automatically assigned electronic or detectable by means of corresponding detection devices authentication label. By means of a second signaling channel 202, the control signal data 212 of the metadata profile 21 are transmitted from the central unit 20 to the aggregation module 25. The aggregation module 25 dynamically accesses the manufacturing process chain and / or the sensor system 311 on the basis of the control signal data 212. The aggregation module 25 includes corresponding sensor interfaces 251 for accessing the sensors 311.

The acquired operating data 52 of the production product 40 are transmitted from the aggregation module 25 to the central unit 20, wherein the process metadata 51 are generated by the central unit 20 at least partially by automatic analysis of the operating data 52 and transmitted to the communication device 10. By means of a third signaling channel 203, for example, standardized structure data 213 generated independently of the user request 11 can be transmitted from the central unit 20 to the aggregation module 25. The structure data 213 form a non-dynamically determinable component of the metadata profile 21. Based on the non-dynamically generated structure data 213, eg property parameters of groups and / or classes of manufacturing products 40 and / or process devices 31 can be transferred to the aggregation module 25. The structure data 213 may include, for example, groups or classes, assign probability distributions within the process devices 31 and / or operating data 52, and generate corresponding metadata profile models and / or structures. The groups and / or classes may be stored in a predefined manner in a memory unit of the central unit 20, each manufacturing product 40 of a specific group and / or class being used by means of the Central unit 20 is assigned. For each class and / or group, only a specific selection of control signal data 212 in the metadata profile 21 can then be selectable. The central unit 20 can, for example, based on the assigned group and / or class automatically generates the control signal data 212 of the metadata profile by means of a corresponding filter module.

Like also in FIG. 1 As shown, the process metadata 51 can be generated in a content-oriented and user-specific optimized manner by means of a repackaging module 22 from the process metadata 51 associated with a production product 40, or generated from the generated and aggregated process metadata 51 as user-specific metadata. The content-oriented and user-specifically optimized process metadata 51 are provided by the central unit 20 by means of a corresponding memory unit and network interfaces for transmission to the user's communication device 10. The process metadata 51 and / or references to process metadata 51 can, for example, be made available to the user in a data memory 24 of a content module 23 of the central unit 20. The central unit 20 may include, for example, means for at least partially managing the data memory 24 of the content module 23 associated with the user 12. The user profile 221 may include, for example, user-specific network properties data and / or hardware properties data of the user 12 communication device 10 and / or user behavior data. From the user behavior at the communication device 10 to the aggregation module 25, therefore, a kind of feedback possibility can exist by means of the user profile 221, by means of which the user 11 can influence the extraction or generation of the process metadata 51 directly. Said user profile 221 is created on the basis of user information and stored in the central unit 20 assigned to the user 12. In this embodiment, the central unit 20 can generate content-oriented and user-specifically optimized process metadata 52 by means of the repackaging module 22 in accordance with the user profile 221 and transmit it to the communication device 10 of the user 12. For example, user profile 221 may be permanently stored associated with a particular user 12, or redefined for each access, or loaded from a corresponding storage device.

The communication device 10 of the user 12 may be, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), TV, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a mobile device (in particular, for example, in combination with a broadcast receiver). The user profile 221 may include information about a user 12, such as location of the user's communication unit 10 in the network 50, identity of the user 12, user-specific network properties, user-specific hardware properties, user behavior data, etc. For example, the user 12 may specify and / or modify at least parts of the metadata profile 21 and / or the user profile 221 beforehand to obtain process metadata 51. Of course, it also has the option of transferring process metadata 51 to the communication device 10 through direct access, ie without user-specific optimization by means of the repackaging module 22 of the central processing unit. The remaining data of the metadata profile 21 and / or the user profile 221 can be determined automatically by the central unit 20, by authorized third parties or also by the user 12. For the creation of the user profile 221, the central unit 20 may include, for example, automatic connection identification, user identification and / or automatic recording and evaluation of the user behavior (time of access, frequency of access, etc.). In a variant, these user behavior data can in turn be modified by the user according to his wishes. In one embodiment, the user profile 221 may include a credit limit. The credit limit is a monetary value definable by the user 12 and / or the central processing unit 20 and / or authorized third parties (eg, banks, credit card companies, multimedia data providers, etc.) and determines a maximum monetary value for obtaining the process metadata 21, up to which monetary value from the central processing unit 20 an automatic billing for the acquisition of process metadata 51 can be made. When the credit limit is exceeded, the central unit 20 makes, for example, a query to a bank regarding the creditworthiness of the user 12. The credit limit may also serve the user 12 to protect him from unanticipated costs for obtaining the process metadata 51. The handling and management of the billing and / or access keys are performed by the central processing unit 20. The decoding and / or decryption of the access-controlled process metadata 51 is achieved, for example, by means of an access control module of the repackaging module 22 or the central unit 20, wherein, for example, distribution key and / or session key (key) can be used according to the ETSI standard. The repackaging module 22 can according to the Invention be executed in terms of hardware or software. For the billing of the related multimedia data, ie the billing of the reference of the data, corresponding billing data generated by the central unit 20, for example, include billing documents (eg electronically signed), similar to CDR Bolege (Call Data Records) in so-called DUR documents (DAB / DVB Usage Records). The billing documents are transmitted by the central unit 20, for example, to a clearing module of a credit card company, where they are further processed, or the central unit 20 performs the billing independently. By means of the repackaging module 22 or the central unit 20, the standardized process metadata 51 and / or the content-oriented and user-specifically optimized process metadata can also be provided with an electronic stamp, an electronic signature or an electronic watermark. The electronic signature allows the process metadata 51 to be assigned at any later time to the user 12 who has obtained it from the central unit 20. Thus, the misuse of paid process metadata 51 by the user can be prevented. As an additional service, it can also be offered, for example, that at the request of the user 12 selected process metadata 51 and / or the content or specific (eg user definable) parts of the content of the database 24 of the content module 23 on a physical medium such as CD Rome or DVD, are stored and the user, for example via mail, be delivered. It must be pointed out, however, that the scope of the procedure given by the examples given here should by no means be considered as limited.

List of reference numbers

10

communication device

11

user Request

12

user

20

central processing unit

201

First signaling channel

202

Second signaling channel

203

Third signaling channel

21

metadata profile

211

Authentication and / or authorization data

212

Dynamically generated control signal data

213

Non-dynamically determinable structure data

22

Repackagingmodul

221

user profile

23

content module

24

Database

25

aggregation module

251

sensor interface

30

Manufacturing process chain

301

Start of the manufacturing process

302

End of the manufacturing process

31

process devices

311

sensors

40

manufacturing product

50

communication network

51

process metadata

52

operating data

53

Metadata extraction module

Claims (20)

1. Method for aggregating and transferring process metadata of heterogeneous production process chains (30), wherein each process chain (30) includes multiple process devices (31) which co-operate in the production process of a production product (40), and the process devices (31) of a production process chain (30) are accessed by means of aggregation modules (25) of a central unit (20), said aggregation modules (25) being arranged in a decentralised manner in the case of the production process chains (30), in which method production-process-chain-specific operating data (52) of production process chains (30) are captured on a user request (11) of a communication device (10), and process metadata (52) are transferred to a communication device (10) of a user (12), characterized
   in that for access by means of the central unit (20), a production process chain (30) is selected, and a metadata profile (21) is generated at least partly dynamically on the basis of the user request (11), said dynamically generated parts (212) of the metadata profile (21) including standardised control signal data for the accesses of the aggregation module (25) to the production process chain (30),
   in that by means of a first signalling channel (201), authentication data (211) of the metadata profile (21) of a production product (40) are transmitted by the central unit (20) to an aggregation module (25), the corresponding production product (40) being located and authenticated in the production process chain (30) by means of the aggregation module (25),
   in that by means of a second signalling channel (202), the dynamically generated control signal data (212) of the metadata profile (21) are transmitted by the central unit (20) to an aggregation module (25), the production process chain (30) being accessed by means of the aggregation module (25) on the basis of the control signal data (212), and production-process-chain-specific operating data (52) of the production product (40) being captured, and
   in that the captured operating data (52) are transmitted by the aggregation module (25) to the central unit (20), corresponding process metadata being at least partly generated by automatic analysis of the operating data (52), and transmitted to the communication device (10), by means of the central unit (20).
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that by means of a third signalling channel (203), structure data (213) which cannot be dynamically determined are generated by the central unit (20) as part of the metadata profile (21) independently of the user request (11), property parameters of groups and/or classes of production products (40) and/or process devices (31) being transmitted to the aggregation module (25) on the basis of the structure data (213) which is not dynamically determined.
3. Method according to Claim 2, characterized in that the groups and classes are stored in a predefined manner in a memory unit, each production product (40) being assigned to a specified group and/or class, and for each class and/or group, it being possible to select only a specified selection of control signal data (212) in the metadata profile (21).
4. Method according to one of Claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the central unit (20) automatically generates the control signal data (212) of the metadata profile on the basis of the assigned group and/or class.
5. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the production products (40) of a production process chain (30) are automatically provided with an electronic authentication label by means of the assigned aggregation module (25).
6. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the selected production product (40) is specified by the user (12) in the user request (11) which is generated by means of the communication device (10).
7. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the dynamic part (212) of the metadata profile (21) for the passage of a production product (40) in the production process chain (30) is determined automatically by means of the central unit (20).
8. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the dynamically determined part (212) of the metadata profile (52) includes programs and/or data accompanying programs with the control signal data.
9. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the central unit (20) includes a lookup table with control signal data stored in a standardised manner, the dynamic part (212) of the metadata profile (21) being generated on the basis of the control signal data stored in the lookup table.
10. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the operating data (52) include multimedia data and/or pointers to multimedia data.
11. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that from the process metadata assigned to a production product (40), by means of a repackaging module (22) and taking account of the data of a user profile (221), the process metadata (51) are generated in a content-oriented and user-specifically optimised manner, said content-oriented and user-specifically optimised process metadata being transmitted by the central unit (20) to the communication device (10) of the user (12).
12. Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the process metadata and/or pointers to process metadata are stored and made available to the user (12) in a data memory (23) of a content module (22) of the central unit (20).
13. Method according to Claim 12, characterized in that the user (12) himself or herself at least partly administers the data stored in the data memory (24), which is assigned to the user (12), of the content module (23).
14. System for aggregating and transferring process metadata of heterogeneous production process chains (30), wherein each process chain (30) includes multiple process devices (31) which co-operate in the production process of a production product (40), and aggregation modules (25) of a central unit (20) for accessing the process devices (31) of the production process chain (30), said aggregation modules (25) being arranged in a decentralised manner in the case of the production process chains (30), and sensors (311) for capturing production-process-chain-specific operating data (52) of production process chains (30) and for generating process metadata assigned to the operating data (52), and an interface module for transmitting the process metadata to a communication device (10) of a user (12), characterized
    in that for access to the processing devices (31) by means of the central unit (20), a production process chain (30) can be selected, and a metadata profile (21) for access by means of the central unit (20) can be generated at least partly dynamically on the basis of a user request (11) of the communication device (10), said dynamically generated parts of the metadata profile (21) including standardised control signal data (212) for the accesses of the aggregation module (25) to the production process chain (30),
    in that by means of a first signalling channel (201), authentication data (211) of a production product (40) can be transmitted by the central unit (20) to the aggregation module (25), it being possible to locate and authenticate the corresponding production product (40) in the production process chain by means of the aggregation module (25),
    in that by means of a second signalling channel (202), the control signal data (212) of the metadata profile (21) can be transmitted by the central unit (20) to the aggregation module (25), the aggregation module (25) including means for dynamic access to the production process chain on the basis of the control signal data (212), and the aggregation module (25) including sensor interfaces (251) for accessing the sensors (311) of the process device (31), and
    in that the captured operating data (52) of the production product (40) can be transmitted by the aggregation module (25) to the central unit (20), it being possible to generate the process metadata at least partly by automatic analysis of the operating data (52), and to transmit it to the communication device (10), by means of the central unit (20).
15. System according to Claim 14, characterized in that the production product (40) includes an electronic authentication label which is automatically assigned by means of the aggregation module (25).
16. System according to one of Claims 14 or 15, characterized in that the user request (11) which the user (12) generates by means of the communication device (10) includes data for identifying and/or authenticating a specified production product (40).
17. System according to any one of Claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the dynamic part (212) of the metadata profile (21) for the passage of a production product (40) can be automatically determined by means of the central unit.
18. System according to any one of Claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the central unit (20) includes a lookup table with control signal data (212) stored in a standardised manner, the dynamic part (212) of the metadata profile (21) being generated on the basis of the control signal data stored in the lookup table.
19. System according to any one of Claims 14 to 18, characterized in that from the process metadata assigned to a production product (40), by means of a repackaging module (22) and taking account of the data of a user profile (221), the process metadata can be generated in a content-oriented and user-specifically optimised manner, said content-oriented and user-specifically optimised process metadata being provided by the central unit (20), by means of a corresponding memory unit and network interface, for transmission to the communication device (10) of the user.
20. System according to any one of Claims 14 to 19, characterized in that the process metadata and/or pointers to process metadata are stored and made available to the user in a data memory (24) of a content module (23) of the central unit (20).

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